登陆注册
5419700000275

第275章

Not even my own ignorance, as some Philosopher hath said.I am a schoolboy Who hath not learned his lesson, and who stands Ashamed and silent in the awful presence Of the great master of antiquity Who built these walls cyclopean.

CAVALIERI.

Gaudentius His name was, I remember.His reward Was to be thrown alive to the wild beasts Here where we now are standing.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

Idle tales.

CAVALIERI.

But you are greater than Gaudentius was, And your work nobler.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

Silence, I beseech you.

CAVALIERI.

Tradition says that fifteen thousand men Were toiling for ten years incessantly Upon this amphitheatre.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

Behold How wonderful it is! The queen of flowers, The marble rose of Rome! Its petals torn By wind and rain of thrice five hundred years;Its mossy sheath half rent away, and sold To ornament our palaces and churches, Or to be trodden under feet of man Upon the Tiber's bank; yet what remains Still opening its fair bosom to the sun, And to the constellations that at night Hang poised above it like a swarm of bees.

CAVALIERI.

The rose of Rome, but not of Paradise;

Not the white rose our Tuscan poet saw, With saints for petals.When this rose was perfect Its hundred thousand petals were not Saints, But senators in their Thessalian caps, And all the roaring populace of Rome;And even an Empress and the Vestal Virgins, Who came to see the gladiators die, Could not give sweetness to a rose like this.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

I spake not of its uses, but its beauty.

CAVALIERI.

The sand beneath our feet is saturate With blood of martyrs; and these rifted stones Are awful witnesses against a people Whose pleasure was the pain of dying men.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

Tomaso Cavalieri, on my word, You should have been a preacher, not a painter!

Think you that I approve such cruelties, Because I marvel at the architects Who built these walls, and curved these noble arches?

Oh, I am put to shame, when I consider How mean our work is, when compared with theirs!

Look at these walls about us and above us!

They have been shaken by earthquake; have been made A fortress, and been battered by long sieges;The iron clamps, that held the stones together, Have been wrenched from them; but they stand erect And firm, as if they had been hewn and hollowed Out of the solid rock, and were a part Of the foundations of the world itself.

CAVALIERI.

Your work, I say again, is nobler work, In so far as its end and aim are nobler;And this is but a ruin, like the rest.

Its vaulted passages are made the caverns Of robbers, and are haunted by the ghosts Of murdered men.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

A thousand wild flowers bloom From every chink, and the birds build their nests Among the ruined arches, and suggest New thoughts of beauty to the architect, Now let us climb the broken stairs that lead Into the corridors above, and study The marvel and the mystery of that art In which I am a pupil, not a master.

All things must have an end; the world itself Must have an end, as in a dream I saw it.

There came a great hand out of heaven, and touched The earth, and stopped it in its course.The seas Leaped, a vast cataract, into the abyss;The forests and the fields slid off, and floated Like wooded islands in the air.The dead Were hurled forth from their sepulchres; the living Were mingled with them, and themselves were dead,--All being dead; and the fair, shining cities Dropped out like jewels from a broken crown.

Naught but the core of the great globe remained, A skeleton of stone.And over it The wrack of matter drifted like a cloud, And then recoiled upon itself, and fell Back on the empty world, that with the weight Reeled, staggered, righted, and then headlong plunged Into the darkness, as a ship, when struck By a great sea, throws off the waves at first On either side, then settles and goes down Into the dark abyss, with her dead crew.

CAVALIERI.

But the earth does not move.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

Who knows? who knowst?

There are great truths that pitch their shining tents Outside our walls, and though but dimly seen In the gray dawn, they will be manifest When the light widens into perfect day.

A certain man, Copernicus by name, Sometime professor here in Rome, has whispered It is the earth, and not the sun, that moves.

What I beheld was only in a dream, Yet dreams sometimes anticipate events, Being unsubstantial images of things As yet unseen.

V

MACELLO DE' CORVI

MICHAEL ANGELO, BENVENUTO CELLINI.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

So, Benvenuto, you return once more To the Eternal City.'T is the centre To which all gravitates.One finds no rest Elsewhere than here.There may be other cities That please us for a while, but Rome alone Completely satisfies.It becomes to all A second native land by predilection, And not by accident of birth alone.

BENVENUTO.

I am but just arrived, and am now lodging With Bindo Altoviti.I have been To kiss the feet of our most Holy Father, And now am come in haste to kiss the hands Of my miraculous Master.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

And to find him Grown very old.

BENVENUTO.

You know that precious stones Never grow old.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

Half sunk beneath the horizon, And yet not gone.Twelve years are a long while.

Tell me of France.

BENVENUTO.

It were too long a tale To tell you all.Suffice in brief to say The King received me well, and loved me well;Gave me the annual pension that before me Our Leonardo had, nor more nor less, And for my residence the Tour de Nesle, Upon the river-side.

MICHAEL ANGELO.

A princely lodging.

BENVENUTO.

What in return I did now matters not, For there are other things, of greater moment, I wish to speak of.First of all, the letter You wrote me, not long since, about my bust Of Bindo Altoviti, here in Rome.You said, "My Benvenuto, I for many years Have known you as the greatest of all goldsmiths, And now I know you as no less a sculptor."Ah, generous Master! How shall I e'er thank you For such kind language?

MICHAEL ANGELO.

By believing it.

I saw the bust at Messer Bindo's house, And thought it worthy of the ancient masters, And said so.That is all.

BENVENUTO.

It is too much;

同类推荐
  • 柳宗元集

    柳宗元集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上灵宝元阳妙经

    太上灵宝元阳妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 归心

    归心

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鲁府禁方

    鲁府禁方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大庄严论经

    大庄严论经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 手段:从最小变成最大的S·O·B法则

    手段:从最小变成最大的S·O·B法则

    这是一部风靡全球的“首席执行官之书”,并不以时时抛出格言隽语的俗套来左右读者,也不试图以模具演示的方式来整合读者的思维。在本书中,你看到的是商界内部绘声绘色的故事,这些故事饱含着炽热的激情,有西部好汉的粗话,也有上流豪门的恶谑,甚至不乏街舞式的鄙俚。这里一部权谋书,推进一步说,也是一部商界政治法则书,艾伦·纽哈斯毫不讳言——必要的敌意是获胜的手段,但是我们看到,在回到新闻观上时,作者又提倡着一种可敬的“保守主义”。他的经历,对广大的新闻工作也是不无教益。《手段》不仅是媒体策划人、执行总编和栏目制作人的职业必读书,而且是一切行为经理人——特别是那些处在事业关键阶段的中青年职业经理人的必读之书。
  • The House Behind The Cedars

    The House Behind The Cedars

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 允许指点,但谢绝指指点点

    允许指点,但谢绝指指点点

    现代人的崩溃是一种默不作声的崩溃。不会摔门砸东西,不会流眼泪或歇斯底里。但可能某一秒突然就积累到极致了,也不说话,也不真的崩溃,也不太想活,也不敢去死。能够拯救你的,只能是你自己,不必纠结于外界的评判,不必掉进他人的眼神,不必为了讨好这个世界而扭曲了自己。你越善解人意,就越没有人在意你的委屈和脾气。
  • 最终裁决

    最终裁决

    一路逆天而上,逆天斩道。际遇拜师入宗,遇上神秘老人,得到无上传承。重新出发的他在复仇的路上遇上种种阴谋,不甘就此放弃的他激发了自己无穷的潜力。遇神弑神,遇魔杀魔,遇妖斩妖勇登巅峰!
  • 儒效

    儒效

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 总裁囚婚:亿万小妖妻

    总裁囚婚:亿万小妖妻

    夏纤橙被“请”到秦园的时候是深夜,她非常镇定的背着双肩包那几个保镖的注视下踏入了那栋金……
  • 帝羽仙尊

    帝羽仙尊

    重新活了一世,凌枫发现这又是一个悲催的世界。比如说……获得把封印的绝世神剑——黑色铁棍。获得超稀有的灵丹妙药——炼丹废品。获得被封存的绝世妖兽——一头肥狗。凌枫表示上辈子被雷电轰死很无辜,这辈子迟早他要去造福下一个幸运儿!
  • 呆萌小妻驯夫手册

    呆萌小妻驯夫手册

    一只呆萌隐忍、逗比小气的小白兔爱上一只阴险狠辣、嘴贱腹黑偶尔犯抽的大灰狼,且误打误撞彻底将其降服的故事。本书大叔VS小萝莉,女主呆萌,男主变态!陆旗安,青城第一贵公子,顶级钻石王老五;九歌,钻石王老五的小跟班、保镖兼生活助理;两个身份、地位、年龄相差十万八千里的大叔和小萝莉,王八看绿豆,对了眼,于是,一场你追我赶,你逃我抓的奸情戏码隆重登场。陆大爷追妻法则有三宝:下手早,对娃好,那啥,那活儿还要好!陆大爷追妻法则三步骤:先勾搭,再霸住,最后再扑倒。九歌找男人有三条:第一,得像陆大爷那么帅;第二,得像陆大爷那么有钱有势;第三,得像陆大爷那样酷帅狂霸拽破天。最后再加一条,最好像陆大爷那样,比她大十二岁。陆大爷笑的肝都颤了,“小九,你直说找的男人就是我不就成了?”可是——最后的最后,陆大爷怒了,“小兔崽子你为什么不来追我?爷早就看出来了,你对爷有欲望!对爷有渴望!”小九眨眨眼,颇为无辜,“我已经在追了啊!”陆大爷抓狂:“可爷为什么感受不到?”小九更无辜:“你想怎么感受?”陆大爷扭捏半天,憋出一句话:“我想要吃肉的感受!”小九恍然大悟:“哦,晚上我去买半斤五花肉!”“。。。。。。。。”陆旗安认为,那个小兔崽子可以是帮手,是朋友,是妹妹,甚至是他的孩子,就是没想到有一天她会成为他的小情人,且他陷进去了,就是万劫不复。一场青城特大黑帮走私案,九歌谜样身份揭晓,一场跨越生死的爱恋,他倾尽了所有。。。。。他只愿,这个小小的娃,一直住在他的心尖上。精彩彩片段:若干年后,两人的小包子跑到陆旗安跟前控诉,“我今天把三字经背全了,老师都夸我聪明,可奶奶说你在我这个年纪三字经都是倒着背的,还会看红楼梦,她什么意思?是说我不如爸爸聪明吗?”陆大爷淡定的瞥他一眼,“在智商方面,你确是随你母亲!”小包子一瘪嘴,哇的一声大哭起来,“呜呜呜,那我以后岂不是没饭吃了?妈妈大学都没毕业,老师说了上不了大学就找不到好的工作,将来就要饿肚子的,呜呜呜我不要饿肚子!”陆大爷摸摸他的头,笑,“乖啊,你不会饿肚子,因为陆家的人都是靠脸吃饭的!”小包子哭着打了个嗝,疑惑问他,“吃饭不是靠嘴吗?”陆大爷笑意更深,“只有你妈吃饭靠嘴!”躲在一边听墙脚的某九拳头捏的咯吱响,靠!变相的说我丑是不是?本文一对一,暖文,大叔VS小萝莉,女主养成型。
  • 妖精领主

    妖精领主

    腹黑宅男穿越魔法世界的妖精生涯冒险收集魔法装备变强建立妖精塔
  • 一世帝尊

    一世帝尊

    【热血爽文】新书《诸天第一大帝》,有兴趣的可以看看!何为帝尊?战力无敌,心更无敌!以一人之力逆乱于九天十地,无敌于八荒六合,威压宇宙洪荒,名震诸天万界!头顶茫茫苍天,脚踏九幽地狱,一手镇压十方强敌!人中称帝,帝中称尊,是为帝尊!